Clicky

2026 Edition

Police Practice Test

Take this free police practice test to study for your police officer selection test or police officer entrance exam.

To become a police officer, you will have to take a police selection test or a police entrance exam.  The exams are given at the local, state and federal levels by the hiring agenices.  Some agenices use the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) or the Law Enforcement Aptitude Battery (LEAB). The police selection or entrance exams are aptitude tests measuring the candidate's cogntitive abiltiy.  Sections on arithmetic, reading comprehension, grammar, memory skills and incident report writing may be tested.

For comprehensive study for your police selection or entrance exam, use our 500 question Police Practice Test with flash cards, exam review and testing tips. It is written by law enforcement experts and instructors. Our interactive test platform allows you to simulate the exam. Take as many practice tests as you need. There's no time limit or recurrent charges.

For more information and test prep on police selection tests or police entrance exams, see our Police Officer Entrance Exam Study Guide.
1 Officer Smith often works as a drug-use prevention officer in the local public schools. He visits three schools a week, 40 weeks out of the year. How many schools does he visit in a year?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
3 schools a week  x  40 weeks = 120 school visits

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

2 A robbery suspect has been arrested. The judge in the case has set bail at one million dollars. The bail bondsman requires a 10% deposit to issue a bail bond. What portion of the one million dollars does the robbery suspect need to pay to get the bail bond?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
$1,000.000 x .1 = $100,000
3 Select the word or phrase that most clearly means the same as the underlined word.

When the suspect refused to open the door, the police executed the search warrant and took the door off of its hinges.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
As used in this sentence, "executed" means to carry out or to do what is required by an order, plan or course of action.
4 Identify the misspelled word in the following sentence.

The surprising news anemated the conversation amongst the group.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The correct spelling is "animated". The meaning of "animated" is to be full of life or excitement, to be lively.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

5 Solve the following:

18 - 3 + (- 5) =
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
18 - 3 + (- 5) 
18 -3 - 5  
18 - 8 = 10

 
6 Cindy goes to her bank to withdraw some money from her account. She has a balance of $527.41. She withdraws $250.00. What is the balance of her account after the withdrawal?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
$527.41 - $250 = $277.41
7

Starting from the ground floor, John takes an elevator to the 10th floor. John then goes down 2 floors and up 8 floors. John is on what floor?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
10 - 2 + 8 = 16

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

8

The witnesses said that ______ staying at a local motel.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
They're is a contraction of the plural pronoun "they" and third person plural verb "are".
9 "The shooting occured early Monday morning, at 3:27." Which word is misspelled?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The correct spelling is "occurred", which means to have happened or have taken place.
10

Select the sentence that is correctly written.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
It is a convention in the English language to use the form "Someone and I" when you list several people including yourself.  "Someone and I" is the subject of the sentence.  You should use the subjective form "I" instead of the objective "me".

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

11 Select the sentence that is correctly written.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Use "had" as the past tense of both "have" and "has".  
12 Use the following information to answer questions 12-14.

A local pharmacy has been burglarized. The following is a summary of the kinds of drugs that were stolen and their total value: Narcotics $7,000; Barbiturates $4,000; Analgesics $9,500; and Other $3,000. What category of drugs represents the most expensive loss to the pharmacy?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The stolen analgesics totaled $9,500 in loss while all of the other narcotics were in lesser value amounts.
13 What was the total value of the stolen goods?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
$9,500 + $7,000 + $4,000 + $3,000 = $23,500

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

14 What category of drugs represents the least expensive loss to the pharmacy?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
According to the scenario, "other" narcotic types were stolen in lesser amounts than the other listed narcotics.
15

Read the following passage once and answer questions 15 - 17. Do not refer back to the passage to answer the following questions.

The city has a policy that searches can be conducted on an employee's locker, desk or city-owned vehicle at any time, with or without the employee's presence. Officer Randall is asked by his supervisor to search the desk of the City Controller, an elected official, due to the report of a city worker that the City Controller was seen smoking marijuana behind the city building and putting a baggie with a green leafy substance in his desk about one hour ago. When the City Controller's secretary refused to allow the search, Officer Randall showed the secretary a written copy of the city policy. The secretary called the City Controller, who was out on a job site, inspecting a city owned warehouse. He informed the secretary to refuse the search on the basis that he is an elected official. Officer Randall forced his way past the secretary and went through the City Controller's desk. Nothing incriminating was found. The secretary sustained a broken arm as a result of the incident. The city worker who reported the City Controller was known to have much animosity toward the City Controller because the City Controller suspended the city worker the previous month for tardiness.

On what basis does Officer Randall seek to search the desk of the City Controller?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The officer sought to search the City Controller's desk on basis of the city policy that permitted searches with or without the employee being present. The officer did not obtain a search warrant.  There was no imminent threat to the destruction of evidence since the City Controller was away at a job site.  Police officers act by virtue of authority given to them by statutory law and administrative regulations which govern the agency they work for. "Inherent police power" is too vague an answer and does not refer to any specific authority.
16

The City Controller does not agree to the search on the basis that he is an elected official. Which of the following states his position in another way?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The city policy applies to city employees. The City Controller tries to establish that his desk is not coverd by the city policy because he's an elected official, or, in other words, not a city employee. 

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

17 Which of the following is a true statement based on the passage?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The city worker who reported the City Controller had a motive to harm his reputation.  The passage states that the city worker had been suspended for tardiness the previous month by the City Controller.  Due to this situation, the city worker may not be reliable.  While the report states the City Controller was seen smoking marijuana, it does not identify the witness as the city worker.  There is no statement in the passage that the City Controller removed a bag of marijuana from his desk before the officer searched it.
18

How many people are referenced in the passage?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Five people are referenced in the passage:

1. Officer Randall
2. Officer Randall's supervisor
3.  City Worker
4.  City Controller
5.  City Controller's secretary
19 Which of the following sentences is not grammatically correct?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Witness needs to be in the plural form for this sentence to be grammatically correct. The plural form for witness is "witnesses."

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

20 Their were two cars involved in the accident that happened Monday morning at the corner of Broadway and Third Street. Which word is misspelled?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The possessive pronoun "their" should not be used. Instead, the adjective "there" would help make clear that two cars were involved in the accident.
21

Jane's yearly income in the year 2020 was $48,200, where 14% of her salary was withheld for income tax. In the year 2021, her yearly salary was $51,800, where 16% of her income was withheld for income tax. What was her average take home pay during the years 2020-2021?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
First, we have to determine the take home pay for each of the two years, 2020 and 2021

In 2020, Jane paid the following in taxes: $48,200 x .14 = $6,748

$48,200 - $6,748 = $41,452 take home pay for 2020

In 2021, Jane paid the following in taxes: $51,800 x .16 = $8,288

$51,800 - $8,288 = $43,512

To find the average for the two years, add $41,452 and $43,512 and then divide by 2:

$41,452 + $43,512 = $84,964

$84,964 ÷ 2 = $42,482
22

There were five ____________ to the crime.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The plural form of witness is witnesses. The sentence doesn't involve the possessive form of witness, so an apostrophe is not needed.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

23

During a 10 day period, Officer Mandel drove his patrol motorcycle 1,320 miles. If he drove 105 miles on one day, how many miles did he average on the other days?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
First, subtract 105 from 1,320 to determine the distance covered in the other nine days: 1,320 - 105 = 1,215

Divide 1,215 by nine days to find the average per day:

1,215 ÷ 9 = 135 miles per day
24

Officer Perry prepared a police report on a theft from a hardware store. He listed the stolen property as follows:

Air Compressor - $600

Drill - $100

Electric Saw - $250

Copper Pipe - $500

What is the total value of the stolen property?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
  $600
  $100
  $250
+$500
$1,450
 
25

What is the value of the goods in question 24 not including the electric saw?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
    $600
    $100
+  $500
$1,200

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

26

Which term is opposite in meaning from the underlined word in the following sentence?

The woman seemed to be inebriated when giving her statement to the police officer.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Inebriated mean intoxicated. Sober means not affected by alcohol.
27

What term is the same in meaning as the word underlined in the following sentence?

The victim's arm was lacerated in the accident.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Both lacerated and cut mean torn.
28

Read the following scenario and answer questions 28 - 31.

In an effort to cut down on traffic and air pollution in the center of town, an ordinance is enacted and signed by the mayor that forbids certain size trucks from entering the city limts, except delivery trucks which have either to drop off or pick up goods or other materials from local businesses or residences. To enter the city, delivery vehicles must first obtain a special permit from the office of licenses and permits and display the permit on the front windshield. The ordinance authorizes the police to ticket any truck in the city not displaying a permit.

On May 2nd, Officer Brown saw a truck go by him in the town without a permit displayed. He pulled the truck over and questioned the driver. The driver said he was from out-of-town and was not aware of the ordinance. Officer Brown gave the driver a warning and told him to either drive out of the city or, if he was making a delivery, to go to the office of license and permits to get a permit. The driver was compliant and drove out of the town. On May 10th, Officer Brown saw the same truck and driver in the town, again without the required permit. The driver apologized and said he did not know he was in the city limits. Officer Brown ticketed the driver.

The driver appealed his ticket and a hearing was held in the city on May 28th. The judge was not sympathetic to the driver's excuse, as there was a sign giving notice of the city limit just down the street that the driver had passed when entering the city limits. When Officer Brown was leaving the courthouse, he noticed the driver had parked his truck in a lot down the street. Officer Brown was surprised to see that the truck failed to display the required permit. Officer Brown put a ticket on the front windshield of the truck and went about his day.

Why did Officer Brown ticket the driver the first time?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The officer ticketed the driver the first time because he failed to have the required permit to drive into the city.  While the driver did ignore the previous warning, that is not the basis of the ticket.  The question asks about the first ticket, and answer D addresses the second ticket.
29

Why was the judge not swayed by the driver's excuse?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The scenario states that the driver drove past a sign indicating the city limit.  Therefore, the driver had actual or constructive notice that he had gone into the city and was required to have a permit, as he was first warned.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

30

Based on the driver's conduct after the warning, what can be inferred from the passage?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
When the driver was first stopped and given a warning, the officer gave the driver the choice of driving out of the city or to go to the office of license and permits and get a permit to make deliveries. The driver drove out of the city without seeking a permit, so it can be inferred that he was not making a delivery.
31 On what date did the driver get his first ticket?
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The officer gave the driver a warning on May 2nd, a ticket on May 10th and a second ticket on May 28th. 
32 John followed his captain to the office and they review the criminal complaint that was to be filed that day.

Which answer below corrects the use of verb agreement for the underlined text?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The only correct answer options where the verbs agree are in the past tense.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

33 Officer Simon listened to the victim wincing in astonishment.

Correct the misplaced modifier in the sentence.
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The dangling participle is an error that causes confusion. The participle should be placed immediately before or after the subject of the sentence.
34 A suspect as fast as a rabbit.

Turn this sentence fragment into a sentence.
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
A sentence fragment does not have enough to make it complete. It is usually missing a subject or a verb.
35 The day was cloudy with rain the roads were wet and slippery.

Fix this run-on sentence.
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
A run-on sentence is a sentence with too much in it. It typically has two complete sentences. It is incorrect to insert a comma between the two sentences, as this creates another error, a comma splice.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

36 .08 + 3 x 4 =
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
By order of operations, you first carry out multiplication before subtraction or addition.

.08 + 3 x 4 = x
.08 + 12 = x
x = 12.08
37 Study the following crime scene photo for one minute. After one minute, answer the following questions without looking at or referring to the photo. If needed, use zoom on your screen to enlarge the photo.
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
There are four people present in the photo.
38 The photo is taken from what vantage point?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The photo is taken from the vantage point behind the customer service desk to the front of the store.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

39 What kind of business establishment is it?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The incident takes place in a clothing store.
40 What type of clothing is the person stopped at the door wearing?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The person stopped at the door is wearing a gray hoody.
41 How many mannequins are in the photo?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
There are 4 mannequins present in the photo.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

42 Study the following crime scene photo for one minute.  After one minute, answer the following questions without looking at or referring to the photo. If needed, use zoom on your screen to enlarge the photo.



 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The victim was laying on a street which is indicated by the type of concrete used and the presence of a curb. The presence of grass along the road indicates it is outdoors.
43 How many bullet cases were found at the scene?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
There are two bullet cases present in the photo.
44 If the victim was laying face down, the gun lays next to the victim's:
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
If the victim was laying face down, the handgun is located at the victim's left hand.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

45 If the victim was fatally shot, what is missing from the scene as revealed by the photo?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Typically, if a victim is shot, there will be blood evidence at the scene of the shooting. There is no apparent blood evidence on the street.
46 What does Evidence Marker 4 identify?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
Evidence Marker 4 identifies a semi-automatic handgun.
47 Study the following crime scene photo for one minute.  After one minute, answer the following questions without looking at or referring to the photo. If needed, use the zoom on your screen to enlarge the photo.
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The suspect carries a metal safe in the photo.
48 What type of lock does the object have that the suspect carries?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The metal safe that the suspect carries has an electronic lock.

Study Online Instantly

Police Practice Exam

Click to Save 50% Now

49 What is the setting of the crime?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The setting suggests the crime takes place in a residence.
50 Will there likely be fingerprint evidence?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
It is unlikely to be fingerprint evidence since the suspect is wearing gloves.
51 Which of the following profiles fits the suspect in the photo?
 
Incorrect. Please choose another answer.
The suspect in the photo is likely an adult male in his 20s.
Study Online Instantly
Click to Save 50% Now

Related Links

Quality starts with who wrote the material. Our writers:

Police Sergeant Tyler Nelson, is a 13 year police veteran who currently works with the Mohave County Sheriff's department in Arizona. Officer Nelson has taught several courses in law enforcement. During his career, he has worked as a patrol officer, SWAT medic and field training officer. Officer Nelson holds a Master Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Southern Utah University.

Mark Mellett, is a former Assistant District Attorney from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in gun and drug cases. Prior to work as an ADA, Mark served in the U.S. Navy JAG Corp as a prosecutor. He earned his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law.

Copyright © 2009-2025 Tests.com. All Rights Reserved.